SLD Companion Manual - ASEC

1 SLD Companion Manual Revised September 1998. Robert J. Wedl, Commissioner Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Kate Foate Trewick, Assistant Commissioner Office of Teaching and Learning Wayne Erickson, Director Division of Special Education Project Coordinator Nancy W. Larson, , SLD Consultant Division of Special Education ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The following committee members contributed their time generously to the devel- opment of this Manual . The final product reflects their extensive expertise. SLD Assessment Committee Joe Bauer, School Psychologist, Forest Lake Public Schools Kerry Bidle, SLD Coordinator, Northland SEC. Sally Gotelaere, School Psychologist, Hermantown Public Schools Bonnie Kriha, Coordinator, Paul Bunyan Special Education Cooperative Kathy Manley, Compliance Monitor, Division of Monitoring and Compliance Linda Manning, School Psychologist, Robbinsdale Public Schools Kevin McGrew, , Professor, St.

2 Cloud State University Bill McMillan, , Evaluation Specialist, Division of Special Education Barbara Pogoler, SLD Teacher, Minneapolis Public Schools Information Processing Committee Linda Ayers, Coordinator, Elk River Public Schools Cherlynn Brumbaugh, Coordinator & Lead Teacher, Southern Plains Education Cooperative Bonnie Carlson, Coordinator, Bloomington Public Schools Linda Gustafson, Coordinator, Elk River Public Schools Barbara Pogoler, SLD Lead Teacher, Minneapolis Public Schools Young Students Committee Linda Ayers, , Coordinator, Elk River Public Schools Judy Bergquist, LD/MMI Teacher, Sherburne-Northern Wright Cooperative Barbara Duncan, , ECSE Department Head, Hastings Public Schools Michael Eastman, , Early Childhood Special Education Specialist, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Shannon Fideldy, LD/MMI Teacher, Glencoe-Silver Lake Public Schools Jill Haak, , ECSE Coordinator, Benton-Stearns Education District Darlene Hamer, , Coordinator, SW/WC Service Cooperative, Retired Jeanne Henning, , Special Education Coordinator, Byron Public Schools Karen Imhoff, Coordinator, ECSE, Sp/L, Inver Grove Heights Public Schools Bob Merchant, , Child Study Coordinator, Meeker Wright Special Education Cooperative Linda Nelson, Ed.

3 S., ECSE Program Supervisor, Anoka Public Schools Leslie Olson, Ed. S., Special Education Supervisor, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools Carol Svingen, Ed. S., Child Study Coordinator, SW/WC Service Cooperative Robyn Widley, , Early Childhood Special Education Specialist, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. In addition, the Division of Special Education would like to thank the follow- ing individuals and groups for their invaluable assistance. Sally Baas, School Psychologist, Anoka Public Schools, for advising on the technical aspects of assessment. Carolyn Elliott, , Low Incidence Supervisor, Division of Special Education, Families, and Learning, for reviewing and providing historical information.

4 Field Reviewers for making significant contributions to the content and structure of this Manual . Sharon Hanzalik, desktop publisher/editor, for giving shape to this Manual . Susan Hentges, , Teacher, Mounds View Public Schools, for proofing the final draft. Thomas Lombard, , Manager, Division of Monitoring and Compliance, for providing technical assistance on assessment issues. Minority and Cultural Issues Work Group for developing information on Reducing Bias. SLD Leadership Committee for providing content suggestions and field review. Pat Tupper, Education Resource Center, Minnesota Department of Children, Families, & Learning, for researching information on relevant topics.

5 Elizabeth Watkins, LEP and Minority Consultant, Division of Special Education, for sharing resources and technical assistance. PREFACE. The field of specific learning disabilities (SLD) is synonymous with change, and one cannot hope to capture the essence of this dynamic field within the covers of a Manual . Still, as new professional practices and new fields of related research emerge, information contained within manuals quickly becomes out- dated. This Manual is designed to accommodate this problem with its section by section pagination that allows for periodic replacement materials to be sent to the field. In response to requests from the field, the Manual also includes a section on ASR and Eligibility and another on the IEP and Specially Designed Instruction that will be further revised this year.

6 The SLD Companion Manual also contains new sections on Reducing Bias and Young Students and SLD.. All other sections of the Manual received extensive revisions. Recommended tests, forms, and procedures are included in each section as well as Black Line Masters and information on Young Students in Appendix A, Monitoring and Prereferral in Appendix B, and Statistical Information in Appendix C. The aim of the committees who provided their extensive expertise to this project was to present pragmatic suggestions for improved professional practice and implementation of Minnesota Rule for specific learning disabilities ( ). It is our hope that the field finds this Manual useful to their practice, relevant for assessment, helpful for students, and reflective of current issues in SLD.

7 It is with pleasure that the Department of Children, Families & Learning presents the SLD Companion Manual , Revised September 1998, to the field.. TABLE OF CONTENTS. SLD Companion Manual Revised September 1998. Federal and Minnesota Rules for SLD 1-1. Historical Review 2-1. Assessment Process 3-1. IDEA 97 3-1 * Purposes of Assessment 3-2 Prereferral 3-3 Review of Existing Data 3-5 Assessment 3-6. Severe Underachievement 4-1. Initial Underachievement Checklist 4-2 SLD Observation Form 4-4 . Home and Family Interview 4-7. Severe Discrepancy 5-1. Recommended Intellectual Ability Instruments 5-4 Recommended Achievement Instruments 5-7 Minnesota Regression Table 5-9.

8 Information Processing 6-1. Information Processing Model 6-2 Information Processing Components 6-5 Lifelong Impact 6-10 Assessment of Information Processing 6-13 Forms 6-14. Reducing Bias 7-1. Severe Underachievement 7-2 Severe Discrepancy 7-4 Information Processing 7-11 Interpretation of Results 7-13 SLD Diversity Worksheet 7-14. Exclusionary Factors 8-1. SLD Exclusionary Factors Checklist 8-8. Reassessment 9-1. Review of Existing Data 9-2 Continuing Existence of SLD 9-3 Conferring Educational Benefit 9-3 Transition Planning 9-4. ASR and Explaining Eligibility 10-1. SLD Assessment Summary Report Outline 10-2 Explaining SLD. Eligibility 10-5 SLD Eligibility Criteria Chart 10-7 Information Processing Profile Chart 10-8.

9 IEP and Specially Designed Instruction 11-1. Roles and Responsibilities 11-2 Especially Designed Instruction 11-9 . Sample Task Analysis 11-10 Teaching Strategies 11-12 Adaptations 11-15 . References 11-17. Young Students 12-1. Early Identification 12-1 Background Information 12-4 Assessment of Young Students 12-7 SLD Eligibility 12-8. Glossary Selected References Black Line Masters Other Contributors Appendix A: Young Students Appendix B: Monitoring and Prereferral Appendix C: Statistical Information Federal Rules means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding and using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.

10 The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. 1-1. Federal and Minnesota Rules for SLD. Federal Rule: 34 s s Observation Federal Rules A. At least one team member other than the child's regular teacher shall observe the child's academic performance in the regular classroom setting. B. In the case of a child of less than school age or out of school, a team member shall observe the child in an environment appropriate for a child of that age. Federal Rule: 34 s s Written report A. The team shall prepare a written report of the results of the evaluation. B. The report must include a statement of.